Montpelier, VT — Today Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announced that the results and winners of statewide and federal races in the August Primary Election were certified as official at the meeting of the canvassing committee on Monday, August 22.

Secretary Condos, along with Chairs or their designees from the three major parties (Democratic, Republican and Progressive) certified vote totals and winners for all federal and statewide offices. The results and canvass report can be found on the Secretary of State’s website.

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos

“The tri-partisan certification of election results as official is an important step in verifying the accuracy and integrity of our election results,” said Condos. “Vermonters deserve to have 100% confidence that official vote totals accurately reflect the ballots cast by voters. That is why results are carefully reviewed and certified by a member of each major political party.”

At the meeting of the canvassing committee Secretary Condos celebrated the new ballot curing provisions of Vermont’s election laws.

“Vermont’s low defective ballot rate, and the fact the majority of defective ballots were able to be cured by voters under the new law, is proof that when you work to remove barriers to the voting process more people are able to successfully exercise their civic right to vote,” said Condos.

Of the 133,578 ballots cast only 809 were deemed defective. 492 were cured by voters under the new law, leaving 317 defective ballots that were unable to be counted and a very low defective ballot rate under 0.25%.

“The combination of better instructions, voter familiarity, and ballot curing has worked. Every vote counts. That’s why we have worked so hard to make sure every vote is counted. I want to thank the Legislature and advocates who worked with us to create a ballot curing process that works.”

Secretary Condos also made a special point of thanking Vermont’s Town and City Clerks, who are responsible for the conduct of elections at the local level.

“Vermont’s Town and City Clerks are the backbone of our democracy,” said Condos. “They are dutiful officials who take their oaths to preserve voter access and protect the integrity of our elections very seriously, and they deserve our gratitude.”

Lastly, Condos praised both candidates and voters. “I want to congratulate the Primary Election winners and thank everyone who ran! Win or not, our democracy would not function were it not for those who put themselves into the public arena with a willingness to serve our country, state, and Vermont communities,” he said. “I also want to thank every Vermont voter who cast a ballot early or at the polls on Election Day. Our democracy grows stronger when we all participate!”